Basically, I'd like to see if I should continue this play I'm working on.
I'd like your thoughts, as well as anything in particular you feel is strange or uninteresting about this scene.
Thanks in advance,
Nick
love, lest you find yourself suicidal
Scene 1
Stage right, on a brown futon a young man sits rolling a cigarette. He is dressed in a gray sportcoat, a black tie and a pair of gray slacks. The light is cast from stage left. There is a stage above the main stage, but it is poorly lit at the moment.
Russell: You're never going to get anywhere without a job, Open.
(enter Open stage left, carrying a can of beer)
Open: Don't you worry about me. (Notices Russell rolling a cigarette and lights his own)
Russell (looks up): Oh, I don't. (looks to Open's cigarette, then back to his own matters) You'll be responsible enough to get a job, eventually.
Open: Responsible? What is “responsible” anyways?
Russell: The more i think about it, the more society appears to be this overlord controlling everything I do.
(Pause)
Open: That's too brilliant for me to understand.
Russell: Knowledge comes with experience. Experience comes with a way out of this apartment. A way out of this apartment is a job.
(Pause)
Open: Again, clever; but you dont' have a job either. I don't see how you can say that shit.
Russell: I have a job.
Open: You're a freelancer; you don't have a reliable income. (gulps down the rest of the beer)
Russell: Piss off. It's stable enough.
(Open shuffles back off stage, Russell continues to roll his cigarette. Open returns with a small, orange bottle and a new can of beer)
Open: What's this? (holds up the bottle):
Russell: That? That is cyanide.
Open: (drops bottle)…should I call the police?
(Pause)
Russell: (looks up) What are they gonna do?
Open: Good point.
(Open sits beside Russell on the futon. A long pause ensues)
Open: Alright, I have to ask now, what are you doing with a bottle of cyanide?
Russell: Could you get me your eye dropper?
Open: Only if you tell me what you're going to do with it.
(Enter Nora)
Nora: Hey boys (walks over to Open, kisses him and sits down beside him) What's going on?
Open: Russell is planning on killing…something?
Nora: That's nice, with what?
Open: Cyanide.
Nora: Don't do that Russ.
Russell: Why the hell not?
Nora: It's so cliche.
Russell: I don't care.
(Pause)
Open: You're a walking cliche.
Russell: (looks up) There's something comforting about cliches, you know.
(Open puts his arm around Nora)
Nora: Well what are you killing?
Open: Is it that raccoon that keeps ripping up our trash? I didn't realize they smoked. At least, cigarettes (laughs)
Nora: (postures) Don't make fun of this.
(Pause)
Open: Okay (exit Stage Left)
Nora: Well?
Russell (looks up from his rolling): …This is for me.
Nora: Don't be silly.
Russell: I just need to…
Open: (returns) What? (hands eye-dropper to Russell) Shuffle off this mortal coil?
Russell: Yes. (repostures) In a manner of speaking.
Nora: This is ridiculous. You know we can't let you do this now that we know you're doing it (grabs bottle from Open's hands and eye dropper from Russell)
Russell: That's a ridiculous notion in itself. (grabs cyanide bottle and eye-dropper back, begins to drip a few drops on the rolling paper)
(Pause)
Open and Nora: How so?
Russell: I'm going to do it regardless of you or Open.
Open: I suppose he's right.
(Pause)
Nora: If you're going to do this, you're going to have to leave a note.
Open: Why would he do that?
Nora: What about… his Mum? She has to know why he's doing what…he's doing.
Open: Oh yes, what about your Mum?
(Pause, Stage Above lights…enter Mum)
Mum: If lies were rosy, you'd have a whole ring, young man. You're not going to do anything.
(Stage Above darkens…leave Mum)
Nora: And what about Tory?
Open: Yes, and Tory!
(Pause, Stage Above lights…enter Tory)
Tory: I love you, Russell. I love you, Russell. I love–
Nora: And Jinx.
(Pause)
Open: I'm not taking care of that bastard cat if you're dead.
Nora: I'll take care of her.
(Pause)
Russell: I've thought about my note.
(Tory looks down stage, listens)
Open: Have you at least started on it?
Russell: I've been playing around with something for the last few months.
Nora: The last few months?
Russell: It takes quite some time to get cyanide.
Open: Doesn't your dad own a pistol? Why not just do it the old shotgun-in-the-mouth way?
(Pause)
Russell: I'd prefer an open casket. (Pause) Now if you'd excuse me, I'm off to smoke this.
(Exit Stage Right, Russell; Open shrugs, Nora follows Exit Stage Left)
Tory: An open casket? That man is incouragable.
(Lights cut off on the stage below)
Tory: We'll see him tomorrow.
(Lights Stage Above cut)
(Pause)
(Curtain)